Prepared by – Mohamed Tharwat
The British newspaper, “The Times”, said in a report published on Tuesday that a former security official and a former officer in the British Royal Navy’s special forces admitted to stealing money and confidential documents from the UAE embassy in London.
The newspaper pointed out that “Dean Manster, director of security, and Lee Horford, a former officer in the British Navy, who was working for the Emirati embassy in London, stole documents, passports and money from 3 safes in September 2018.”
She added that “the two people were accused of attempting to use stolen documents and other things to blackmail a very important person in the UAE embassy, to obtain 3 million pounds sterling, but the Public Prosecution at the Southwark Court chose not to pursue the investigation into the extortion charge.”
The Times quoted Tyrone Silcott, a representative of the British Attorney General, as saying: “Dean Manster, 51, was not directly involved in the theft, but used information and security details he obtained as director of security for the Emirati embassy with the help of Horford in the theft.” She pointed out that Horford, 49, stole 62,000 pounds, 9,100 dollars, and 500 euros in cash, in addition to a security card, when he was working for the embassy as a protection officer.
Manster worked as director of security at the Bank of England’s cash center for 7 years, and also worked as an assistant to the vice president of security at JPMorgan, and joined the security company FSI, as a consultant in 2019, following working for 15 months at the UAE embassy.
The newspaper stated that “Manster and Horford were charged with plotting to attempt to blackmail an important official in the Emirati embassy to obtain 3 million pounds sterling, in exchange for documents and other things that were stolen on the evening of September 14, 2018,” explaining that “Manster and Horford denied the charge of conspiracy for extortion, Prosecutor Tyrone Selcott asserted that Manster retained – or still retains – the password, which he gave to Horford in order to steal safes.
She pointed out that “Manster admitted helping Horford to steal large sums of money, documents belonging to the UAE embassy, passports and receipts, and Horford has already admitted to stealing these things from the embassy.”
The “Times” said: Judge Martin Griffiths ordered the renewal of bail for the defendants, on the condition that they do not submit papers to travel abroad, and leave their passports with the police, and the verdict will be issued once morest the two men at a later time.
The two defendants appeared in court via video technology, and denied the conspiracy to blackmail.